Warminda Cottage (Warminda Hostel)

Warminda Cottage was established in 1968 in the Perth suburb of Victoria Park initially as a hostel for working girls from Indigenours backgrounds. The hostel was originally owned by the Western Australian Department for Native Welfare but operated by the Methodist and Uniting Church until 1984 when it was taken over by the Department of Community Welfare. In 1993, it changed management again when it was taken over by the Western Australian Department of Justice. By 1975, Warminda Cottage was admitting girls and boys aged from 5-16 years and by 1984, after the Uniting Church ceased operating Warminda, it became a government-run community support residential hostel for boys and girls in a home/cottage style setting, keeping the name, Warminda.

Under the management of the Methodist and Uniting Church, Warminda was supervised by cottage parents who also lived on the premises with the children in care. In 1978, Martin and Nancy Cooper took over as cottage parents of Warminda where it is reported that Martin James Cooper, in particular, went on to abuse four boys and four girls aged between 11 and 16 years old between 1978 to 1983. Astonishingly enough, the victims reported that abuse at the time to various people, including Nancy Cooper, government department welfare officers, their school principal and even to Western Australia Police. However, they were not believed and instead were labelled troublemakers and told to stop making lies. In 2018, Martin Cooper was eventually convicted in the District Court of Western Australia of 30 offences against children living in the hostel, including physical and sexual abuse. He was sentenced to 20 years in jail where he will be eligible for parole in 2036 at the age of 84.

Moody Law has recently represented a client who was sexually and physically abused by Martin James Cooper when he was placed at Warminda Cottage.

We invite former victims to tell us confidentially what information they may have, and we will explain what options are available to help with these cases.

Call us or complete the confidential enquiry form below.